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Ironbridge Mine, Denniston. —Kiwi section"; Pillar-extraction has been continued, and a considerable area still remains to be extracted. No. 2 : Preparations are being made to reopen this section, where a fair area is standing on pillars. Deep Creek: The headings are opening out fairly well, and about sixteen pairs of miners are engaged winning coal in this section. Deep Creek haulage : The substitution of one brake for two has been accomplished, and a motor attached. Kruger's main section : Pillar-extraction continues in this section. No. 1 pillar section : Four to six pairs of miners are employod in this section on pillar-work. Coalbrookdale Mine, Waratea Extension. —The main drive in process of extension in the direction of Waratea is still in coal about 6ft. thick. The heading-face is now within 3 chains of Waratea. Tho difference in levels is 100 ft. A serious fire broke; out in this area during November, but was 'safely sealed off by brick-and-concerte stoppings. No. 8 Cascade : Seven pairs of men arc engaged in pillar-extraotion, The roof is bad, being overlain by a bod of fireclay. Waratea: This is all in solid workings. The headings show Bft. of clean coal. A distance of 25 chains lies between the heading-face and the escarpment. co-operative parties. Coal Creek Mine, Mokihinui. —Owing to a fire in the lower section workings of this mine the section was sealed off, and coal-winning was recommenced in• the upper section. As the area in this section is limited the party have commenced prospecting operations to the west of the present workings. O'Brien and Regan's Mine, Seddonville. —All the coal produced from this mine was from pillar-extraction. Dove's Mine (Old Cardiff). —A party of co-operative miners have successfully reopened this mine with the object of extracting pillars. The pillars have been robbed in a former working, but owing to the strong nature of the roof a considerable quantity of coal can still be won with safety. The fire area has boon sealed off with a concrete dam, and the temperature has been considerably reduced. Bennett's Mine, Mokihinui. —Three men are engaged producing coal from this mine, but owing to difficulties with water they have not met with a great amount of success. Marris and Murray's Mine, Seddonville. —The coal in this mine is very dirty, and intruding stone bands render it difficult to work. Mulholland and Party's Mine, Seddonville. —The major portion of the output still continues to be produced from the Bridge section, but owing to the primitivo machinery used the output is limited. Mokihinui-Westport Goal Syndicate's Mine, Seddonville. —The outcrops on this property show good clean coal, but the coal is split by stone bands a few chains from the entrance. During the year this party have erected somo Bor 10 chains of fluming to carry the coal from the upper section to their tram-line. This having proved successful, it is the intention of tho party to extend the fluming across Chasm Creek. Chester's Mine, Seddonville. —Three men are employed in this mine. The ccal is thin and dirty. St. Helens Mine, Seddonville. —The old mine has been abandoned, and. a stone drive put in higher up to strike the coal to the rise. McGuire and Quinn's Mine, Seddonville. —This is a new mine just opening at Upper Mokihinui. Three men are employed. Nelson District. Puponga Mine, Puponga. —Work continues between dip and rise sections. The coal is split by a stone band, which is gradually getting thicker and stronger. It is the intention of tho manager to reopen the old B section to extract pillars in that area. North Cape Mine, Puponga. —Owing to trouble with the boiler plant coal-winning was suspended in this mine from July until. Docomber. A start has been made to prospect a nearly vertical seam lying about one mile from the present workings. Tho coal showing in the shaft is 7 ft. 6 in. in thickness. Gladstone Mine, Motupipi (Golden Bay). —Coal from this mine finds a ready sale at Takaka. Coal is also shipped to Nelson. The coal is fairly clean, and 4 ft. in thickness. Stone's Mine, Takaka. —The ownor produced only 50 tons during the year, which was disposed of locally. Enner Glynn Mine, Nelson. —No coal was produced from this mine during the year. Inangahua District. Reefton Coal Company's Mine, Reefton. —The output has been considerably increased, mainly from the No. 2 seam, pillar workings. Two shifts are employed. During December a start was made to drive to the dip. This drive is at present in faulted ground. A start has been made to erect a fan, which work should bo shortly be completed. Morris and Learmont's Mine, Reefton. —No new development work has been done in this mine, the output being maintained from No. 2 seam. Victory Mine, Murray Greek. —This mine has changed ownership during the year and has been renamed the Calliope Mine. A start has been made to erect an aerial tramway, three and a half miles in length, estimated to oost £5,000. This tramway will deliver the coal to the Reefton Coal Company's railway at Burkes Creek. Phoenix and Venus Mines, Murray Creek. —Pour men are at present employed on solid work. The coal is being carted to Reefton in drays. Big River Mine, Big River. —Tho coal in this mine is nearly vertical, is of a very soft nature, and is used for power purposes at the Big River Gold-mine. Merrijigs Coal-mine, Merrijigs. —The main level continues in good coal, 6 ft. in thickness. The tramway to Taipoiti is nearly finished, when the coal will be delivered from the fluming to the station by a gasoline locomotive. Empire Mine, Burkes Creek, Reefton. —Coal continues to be won from the solid workings to the rise. Ferndale-Timaru Coal Company's Mine, Burkes Creek. —The coal to the rise in the area known as Lockington's lease being nearly exhausted, a new area, known as Lishman's lease, was opened up. Three pairs of miners are at present engaged producing coal from this lease. Woodlands Coal-mine, Burkes Creek. —During the year the dip has been extended, also the level to the west. Tho seam is 5 ft. 6 in. thick. The roof, being of fireclay, is very tender. Doran's Mine, Capleston. —This small mine at Capleston was the only one to produce coal in the Boatman's district during the year. Throe men are employed. Coal is carted to the railway, three and a half miles distant, in drays. Dangerous Occurrences requiring Notification (Regulation 81). Coal Creek Mine, Upper Mokihinui. —On the 3rd June, 1923, tho manager of Messrs. McGuire and party's cooperative mine on his arrival noticed large volumes of smoke issuing from the air-shaft of the bottom section of their mine. A stopping was immediately placed in the main intake, and later the air-shaft was filled up completely, sealing off the section, This section has not yet been reopened. On the 22nd Juno heating was discovered behind a fall in the pillar workings of the top section of the same mine. Stoppings were immediately erected, but are not completely effective, as the roof-breaks caused by the extraction of the pillars extend to the surface. Ferndale-Timaru Coal Company's Mine. —On the 26th July, 1923, during a visit of inspection I discovered heating in the above mine. As tho mine was about to be stopped I wired the company's representative at Timaru requesting immediate steps be taken to deal with the matter : this was given effect to. The mine has since been reopened, and the remaining pillars have been extracted. Blackball Colliery. —On Monday, sth November, 1923, there were indications of heating in the old workings to the rise of No. 4 bank, No. 8 section. Temporary stoppings were erected, with the result that on the afternoon of the 7th November all indications of heating had disappeared. Clay stoppings wore then erected to complete the sealing off of the area. On the 18th November smoke was found issuing from old workings of No. 5 heading, No. 1 section,